Dog Diarrhea: Why does it Happen?
Dog Diarrhea: Why does it Happen?
If you have ever owned a pet, you have undoubtedly encountered the dreaded dog diarrhea. Some pet owners are fortunate enough to get their pets outside and into the yard so that they can relieve themselves, while others find it sitting in the middle of their living room carpet when they wake up the next morning.
Dog diarrhea is a clear sign that there is something wrong with your dogs health, but that does not necessarily mean that you need to run off to the veterinarian's office immediately. Your dog may have 1 to 3 loose stools, which should not be a cause for immediate alarm. Dog diarrhea can be a symptom of several different dog diseases or ailments that dogs come across. The most common reason why dogs will have dog diarrhea is because of "gastroenteritis", a condition that causes the lining of your dog's stomach and small intestines to become inflamed. Some reasons why does may fall prey to gastroenteritis is because of bacterial infections, viral infections, parasites, or they may be having a bad reaction to something that they ate (such as table scraps, foreign objects, or other food items that they may have dog allergies towards).
Some of the other symptoms that should perhaps warn you that you need to pay a visit to the veterinarian include:
Blood in the stool
Lethargy
Poor appetite
Vomiting
Notably strange behavioral changes
In these situations, it's a good idea to bring a sample of your dog's stool to the veterinarian so that he or she can take a closer, more in depth look at it. This will help them determine the cause of the dog diarrhea. A veterinarian may also order some blood tests to be done. The blood tests will help the veterinarian see just how much of a problem the dog disease or ailment really is, make sure that the vital organs are working properly, and he or she will be able to see if the electrolytes are properly balanced.
So how do you treat dog diarrhea? The first thing is to stop feeding your dog. This will give your dog's digestive tract a chance to calm down and recover from what ever may be causing the dog diarrhea. Make sure that the dog's water is fresh and clean, and try adding a probiotic powder to your dog's water as well. After your dog has fasted for 12 to 24 hours, check his stools and see if they are becoming better formed. If they are, slowly introduce a very plain food to your dog, such as boiled chicken, rice, or canned pumpkin. Every 24 hours, begin to add a little bit more of your dog's regular food to his diet again until you are back at feeding him his normal food.
If your dog doesn't seem to be recovering from dog diarrhea after he has fasted for 24 hours, definitely schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. Dog Gone Fun At Doggy Day Care Choosing A Pet: What To Consider Part (3) A journey to make to get past St Peter at the gates Enjoy the Peace of Mind of Pet Insurance Cat Insurance Provides Financial Peace of Mind Dog Insurance - Choosing a Policy Covering Your Exotic Pet with an Exotic Pet Insurance Policy Pharmacists Need Competency It Appears Unbelievable That You Can Uncover What To Count on From Pet Insurance Comparison Puzzled at the Petrol Pump – 5 Way to reduce your petrol costs BP Beyond Petroleum or British Petroleum Darragh Macanthony Will Not Stand In The Way Of Any Peterborough United Players Who Want To Move On It is challenging to train terriers except the West Highland Terrier